# US 10,374,813 B2 · Coupler for power line communication and power-over-ethernet > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,813 B2 - Document ID: US10374813B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/821,199 - Filed: 2015-08-07 - Published: 2017-02-09 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-08-07 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Gregory Lloyd Sheffield - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374813B2 ## CPC - H04L 12/10: Current supply arrangements - H02J 3/02: using a single network for simultaneous distribution of AC power at different frequencies - H04B 3/542: {the information being in digital form} - H04B 3/56: Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals - H04L 41/0659: by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities - H04B 2203/547: via DC power distribution - H04B 2203/5483: using coupling circuits - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract A coupler is provided. The coupler includes a power line, a PLC-to-Ethernet converter, a first transformer, and a power sourcing circuit. The power line is coupled between a first connector and a second connector. The power line is configured to conduct PLC signals. The PLC-to-Ethernet converter is configured to convert between the PLC signals and Ethernet signals. The first transformer is coupled between the PLC-to-Ethernet converter and a third connector. The first transformer is configured to condition the Ethernet signals for power-over-Ethernet transmission. The power sourcing circuit is coupled to the power line and configured to provide power to the first transformer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A coupler, comprising: a first Twinax connector and a second Twinax connector configured to be respectively coupled to a power line communication (PLC) bus; a power line coupled between the first Twinax connector and the second Twinax connector, the power line configured to conduct PLC signals; a PLC-to-Ethernet converter coupled to the power line and configured to convert between the PLC signals and Ethernet signals; a first transformer coupled between the PLC-to-Ethernet converter and a third connector, the first transformer configured to condition the Ethernet signals for power-over-Ethernet (POE) transmission as first POE signals; and a power sourcing circuit coupled to the power line and configured to provide power to the first transformer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The coupler recited in claim 1 further comprising a second transformer coupled between the power line and the PLC-to-Ethernet converter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The coupler recited in claim 2, wherein the second transformer is capacitively coupled to the power line. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The coupler recited in claim 1, wherein the power sourcing circuit comprises a circuit breaker configured to limit current to the third connector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The coupler recited in claim 4, wherein the circuit breaker comprises a programmable current limit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The coupler recited in claim 1 further comprising a rectifier coupled in series with the power sourcing circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The coupler recited in claim 1, wherein the first transformer comprises a transmit stage having a center-tap coupled to the power sourcing circuit and configured to receive power there from. ### Claim 8 A system for power distribution and communication, comprising: a first power line couplable to a power source and configured to conduct power line communication (PLC) signals; a second power line configured to conduct the PLC signals; and a first coupler coupled to the first power line by a first Twinax connector and to the second power line by a second Twinax connector, the first coupler configured to: form a first power-over-Ethernet (POE) branch configured to be coupled to a POE device, provide current-limited power to the POE device through the first POE branch, convert the PLC signals to POE signals for transmission to the POE device over the first POE branch, convert received POE signals, from the POE branch, to the PLC signals for transmission over the power line, and pass through power and the PLC signals from the first power line through the first Twinax connector to the second power line through the second Twinax connector, and from the second power line to the first power line. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system recited in claim 8 further comprising a second coupler coupled to the power line and configured to form a second POE branch. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system recited in claim 8, wherein the power line comprises a two-conductor bus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system recited in claim 8, wherein the power line is further couplable to a second power source. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system recited in claim 8, wherein the power line is further couplable to the power source through a band pass filter, a voltage converter, and a circuit breaker. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system recited in claim 8, wherein the first coupler is configured to capacitively couple the first POE branch to the power line. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system recited in claim 8, wherein the first power line and the second power line form at least a portion of a ring bus for conducting the PLC signals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The system recited in claim 8, wherein the first coupler further comprises a circuit breaker coupled between the first power line and the first POE branch, the circuit breaker configured to limit current passing through the first POE branch. ### Claim 16 A method of communicating over a power line communication (PLC) bus, comprising: converting a received power-over-Ethernet (POE) signal, from a coupler, to a local power signal and a local communication signal, the converting comprising rectifying the local power signal and conditioning a voltage of the local power signal; transmitting a POE signal to the coupler through a Quadrax connector for a POE branch; converting, at the coupler, the POE signal to a PLC signal for transmission on the PLC bus through a Twinax connector; and limiting, at the coupler, a current conducted by the POE branch. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method recited in claim 16, wherein converting the received POE signal comprises conditioning voltages of the received POE signal for a media access control (MAC) layer and a physical layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method recited in claim 16 further comprising capacitively coupling, at the coupler, the POE branch to the PLC bus. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method recited in claim 16 further comprising configuring the coupler to a predetermined current limit for the POE branch. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method recited in claim 16 further comprising: detecting a fault on the POE branch; and isolating the POE branch from the PLC bus.